A busway system is a power delivery structure for industrial facilities comprising prefabricated sections for delivery and control of large amounts of electrical power. A busway system typically includes two or more linear busway sections of large, protectively encased, conductive busses; joint packs for electrically and mechanically connecting the linear busway sections together, and multiple plug-in units for power take off, control, and the like. Each busway section includes one or more phase-conductors and a housing. For example, in a three-phase system, the busway section can include three live phase-conductors or three live phase-conductors and one or two neutral-conductors, depending on the type of system architecture being employed. Where required, various plug-in units (sometimes abbreviated PIU) carrying the required electrical components can be directly connected to one or more specially adapted plug-in connection sites spaced along the busway sections to draw power. Each plug in unit must therefore physically and electrically connect to the busway sections to be operational.
One part of this electrical and mechanical connection is a ground connection from the plug in unit to the chosen busway section. In the past some busway plug-in units have used a copper clip to ground the plug-in enclosure to the bare aluminum case of the busway. The ground clip is electrically and physically connected as a part of the PIU assembly to place the case of the PIU at the same potential as the case of the busway when the PIU is attached to the busway.